By CHARLES IWUOHA

No fewer than 80 people lost their lives through road accidents within Enugu State between January and October this year, says a top official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The Sector Commander of FRSC Enugu State, Mr Kalu Ogbonnaya, revealed this on Thursday at the flag-off of the “FRSC 2020 Ember Months Safety Campaign in Enugu State”.

Ogbonnaya also said that from January to October, 2020; 93 Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) had been recorded out of which 688 people were injured.

According to him, in Enugu State in 2019; there were 171 cases of RTC out of which 646 people were injured and 90 people died.

“On this, it is expedient for the Corps to brace up to puncture this unacceptable trend.

Consequently, aggressive public education is needful at a time like this when road traffic challenges coincide with COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

The Sector Commander said that reduction of RTCs cannot be achieved alone by the FRSC “as safety is everybody’s business”; adding that the corps needed the collaboration of stakeholders especially drivers and sister security agencies.

He said that the Ember Months are unique periods of the year when human activities coupled with some natural occurrences lead to heightened human and vehicular movements.

Speaking, Chief Emeka Odoh, Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, lauded the FRSC for keeping its Ember Months campaign running yearly and through it saving a lot of lives.

Odoh, who was represented by the Director of Collections in the Service, Mrs Chinwe Attamah, said that the service and by extension the state government would contribute its quota to the success of the campaign in the state.

Mr Sunday Igwegbe, Safety Manager of Peace (Transport) Group, urged drivers to ensure that they put their vehicles in order and avoid temptation of moving with faulty vehicle.

“In this period they should exercise patience and ensure they abstain from alcohol and other substances that affect the brain and mind.

“Due to harmattan hazy, the lighting system of any road worth vehicle must be okay in order to avoid blurred vision especially in the evening hours and early morning hours,” Igwegbe said.

Highlight of the event was the goodwill message from different sister security agencies and road safety stakeholders of the FRSC.

The theme for this year’s Ember Months Safety Campaign is “Drive Safe, Stay Safe”.

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